By Shannell Bell
In this generation, many women and men feel the pressure of what Valentine’s Day is because it has turned into the day into something that only celebrates couples. It is a day that is a beacon to those who don’t have a person to share it with.
If you walk into any store this time of year, you will see a mass of red and pink streamers, rows of candy boxes, bundles of roses and little brown and white bears with heart shaped boxes. As a woman seeing these things, it is simply another reminder that I haven’t found someone to share this special day with. I’m OK with it and have accepted the fact there is a part of me that is a little broken hearted.
Valentine’s Day creates this expectation of what we have for our lives, that we should have someone to love, and love us. Valentine’s Day isn’t supposed to painful; it isn’t meant to be about having someone or getting gifts. It’s a day to recognize the feelings you have for the people you care about, because love isn’t limited to a significant other.
The love you have for someone should mean something. It transcends everything. It isn’t meant to be shown with things you can buy. Gifts are nice to receive, but they don’t show love. In movies and stories, everyone says money can’t buy happiness, and it’s not a lie. Nowadays the meaning for the day is so clouded that it’s absurd. I’m sure it drives a lot of guys crazy because they probably spend a ridiculous amount of money.
That’s not to mention the few (or many) people who think making love (without actual “love”) is what this day is for.
The goal people should have for Valentine’s Day is not to post a collage of Valentine pictures to everyone on Instagram, but to make sure that the people they care about truly know what you feel for them.
The best way to do that is by taking the time to tell your person how much you care with something more meaningful, like a nice meal after their long day at work, or a handwritten letter. Sometimes, everyone just wants a simple thing: a call asking how their day is going; or a quick appreciation text shows that you aren’t afraid to give a little more effort, since there are easier options to please a person, like random store-bought chocolates, It shouldn’t be hard to do something sweet if it’s for the person you care about. Anything you do for the person you care about should be done because you want to show them how much you appreciate them.
Over the years, I was able to witness the cute, the crazy, and the downright sleazy Valentine’s. Since I seem to be a confidant of others for many stories in the romance department, I’d like to point out a major flaw that many broken hearts feel whenever events like Valentine’s Day come around. There is no reason to dislike these days because even if these days never existed, days would continue to be days; something will happen one day that makes you the happiest person alive, and then impossibly sad the next.
Whether or not you’re with someone, or if the person you held close to your heart did something unspeakable, why let yourself down by letting them control how you feel? I hope this is somehow getting to you because if you truly think about it, something happens everyday whether you’re sitting still or not. So make the most out of every day and I’ll do my best to do the same. Try to live out a more wonder-filled life and smile even when you don’t feel like it, Happy Valentine’s Day!
Shannell Bell is a student at Honolulu CC.
